Day 5 (June 23rd) – Benton, Illinois

This is our first full day in Benton. We are all tired and slept in today, since we didn’t have to get on the road. Miles slept late for him. He got up at 8 AM. Samantha slept almost to 10 AM.

We didn’t do much today. We went to Walmart to get some food and a few items. Miles, who went to Walmart the night before with my parents, wanted to by a BB Gun that he saw there. Lisa told him that he would shoot his eye out. Not to be deterred, he said he would wear protective eye gear. He also through in that it was only $10 and he would use his own money. Lisa still wasn’t swayed. When this tack didn’t work, he asked if he couldn’t get the BB Gun could he get a paint ball gun. Lisa started to laugh and then said “No.” You got to give him credit for trying.

We found a coffee shop that had Internet access. While I stayed at the coffee house to post a blog entry and reading email, Lisa, my mom and kids went to the antique shops in the area. My mom found a few antique tea carts that she would like to get. My dad who stayed with me did his signature “that’s nice but so or not going to happen”. He does a half nod by moving his head up and says hmmmm. Lisa and my mom saw some other antiques, but the one thing that they were amazed with was the cost. The cost of the antiques are a fraction of the cost that you would pay in California.

The rest of the day was spent at Lisa’s Aunt. Lisa, her Aunt and her Aunt’s grandchild started cooking for a party. The party was a mini reunion. Lisa’s two surviving Uncles, lots of cousins, spouses and kids came for dinner at her Aunts. There must have been forty people and maybe even more who showed up. The amount of food was crazy. Everyone commented on that they wished Lisa’s mom had come with us. We tried to get her here, but she didn’t want to make the trip. We even told her that she could fly out and back, but she wasn’t going to make the trip. She can be very stubborn. I met a lot of the people that Lisa has talked about over the years. Miles finally had someone to play with. He was bored most of the day, and disappointed that he couldn’t buy a BB gun. Lisa’s cousin Alan, who is 40 something, brought out what can only be described as a 50 caliber machine gun that shoot Nerf darts. Miles was in heaven.

After dinner, we played several games of volleyball, which wasn’t easy since it was hot and humid. Everyone was dripping wet after the last game was played. The last of Lisa’s cousins left at midnight. I couldn’t tell you the names of all the people I met or how they are related, but it was nice to put a face to name.

We didn’t traveling to day so our total miles driven is. We drove around town with my parents. See as today was a reunion day all the pictures are of Lisa's relatives.